How Austin became the robotaxi capital of America
The robotaxi race is heating up in Austin. A decade after Google's self-driving car project quietly tested on the city's streets, a new wave of autonomous vehicle companies is setting up shop. Waymo, now a dominant force in San Francisco, is expanding to the city. Tesla is preparing to debut its long-promised robotaxi. And smaller players like Zoox, Avride, and ADMT are using the Texas capital as a proving ground.
What was once a fringe experiment is now a high-stakes industry comeback, deep in the heart of Texas.
'You have a regulatory environment that's keen to capitalize on these developments,' says Alison Brooks, research vice president for worldwide public safety at IDC. 'At the same time, it's a blue city in a red state that's predisposed towards alternative vehicles that are more environmentally friendly.'
The self-driving companies converging on Austin
The only fully deployed and operational robotaxi company in Austin is Waymo. In 2023, the company announced it was expanding testing to 'the city that keeps it weird,' more than two years after its Phoenix launch. Since its March launch, Waymo now has about 100 robotaxis in Austin, making up 20% of local Uber trips. 'By expanding our partnership with Uber to Austin, we were able to bring Waymo rides to residents and visitors in Austin even faster,' a representative for Waymo tells Fast Company.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Home Depot holding opening ceremony Wednesday at South Hill store
Jun. 10—Officials from Home Depot will host a grand opening Wednesday at the hardware giant's new store on the South Hill. The 134,000-square foot store was built following the demolition of the 100,000-square-foot Shopko building at 4515 S. Regal St. The new store is located directly across the street from Ruggiero's Ace Hardware, owned by Austin and Josh Ruggiero, the third generation of the family to own the business. To commemorate the opening of Home Depot, company officials will host a community night celebration that starts at 4:30 on Wednesday. It will feature remarks from Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, City Council President Betsy Wilkerson and Alisha Benson, CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated. Following the event, the store will open for business at 6 a.m. on Thursday. Home Depot purchased the 13-acre property in May for $10 million, according to county property records. Building plans submitted to the city show about 28,000 square feet of the new building will include a garden center, and another 100,000 square feet will consist of retail space. A lumber canopy also is slated for the location. The store could eventually employ 175 workers, according to the project description submitted to the city. Josh Ruggiero said last year that his hardware store could suffer from the new Home Depot. "I fear we will no longer exist if this Home Depot goes in across the street," he said. But two weeks ago, the Ruggieros announced plans to highlight the differences that their store offers customers. The plan to hold a neighborhood party on Saturday at the Ace Hardware store at 44th and Regal which will include in-store promotions and family activities. "While this change presents challenges for our family-owned business, we are embracing the moment with optimism and a renewed commitment to our neighbors," Ruggiero said in a news release.
Bloomberg
29 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Unleashing the power of data and technology in an age of digital transformation
Digital transformation projects are nothing new in capital markets, with buy-side and sell-side firms aiming to optimize their technology and data stacks to transform downstream business processes. This article shares how Bloomberg sees digital transformation and the strategies it employs to solve data and technology pain points for its clients.
Forbes
30 minutes ago
- Forbes
iOS 26 — Apple Unveils New Wallet Feature To Verify Your ID Online
Another new iOS 26 feature has emerged courtesy of Apple-focused site MacRumors — a Verify with ... More Wallet on the Web option. Apple's iOS 26 is shaping up to be a major update to the iPhone maker's operating system, with a bunch of cool new features announced on June 9 at its Worldwide Developer's Conference. Some people don't like the look of iOS 26, which comes with a new design language called Liquid Glass. However, iOS 26 looks like it will be very capable, with headline features including enhancements to Apple Intelligence AI features and the ability to screen calls and messages. Now, another new iOS 26 feature has emerged courtesy of Apple-focused site MacRumors — a Verify with Wallet on the Web option. This new iOS 26 feature works exactly in the way it sounds: You will be able to use your state-issued license or digital ID to verify your age and identity online in a secure way when doing things such as buying liquor or renting a car. In practice, this means you don't have to upload your photo ID such as your passport, which contains details such as your date of birth and name, to a website. Apple's iOS 26 feature can verify your identity instead and the iPhone maker will also inform you of how the data will be used and let you know if the information will be stored by the site. The whole process is protected by end-to-end encryption, the gold standard of security which means no one can see your data, including Apple, the website and the government. This capability is already possible in apps, but Apple is expanding it to the web through support for the W3C Digital Credentials API and the FIDO CTAP protocol, MacRumors explains. From iOS 26, the web-based ID verification feature will work in Safari across all your Apple devices, as well as in other browser apps and via operating systems that offer support. The Digital ID feature in iOS 26 allows you to store state issued IDs and licenses as well as passports to verify yourself online. Other features include the ability to scan a QR code on your iPhone and authenticate via Face ID to share your Digital Wallet information with a website. Meanwhile, Apple will add support for third party apps that support licenses. The Verify with Wallet on the Web feature in iOS 26 ensures you can't use fake IDs by ensuring they are cryptographically signed. The iPhone maker has announced the initial apps that will support Verify with Wallet on the Web, including Uber Eats, Turo and U.S. Bank. At the same time, Arizona MVD, Georgia DDS and Maryland MVA will add support for their digital ID apps, MacRumors says. Apple's iOS 26 will be available this Fall, when Apple launches its new iPhone devices.
